Advancing Global Technology Cooperation for a Better Future
Technological innovation is advancing at velocity and transcending borders, creating a landscape where challenges and opportunities are increasingly shared. To harness this potential, global cooperation must be as dynamic and interconnected as technology itself.
The UN’s Connector, Catalyst, and Convener
As the UN’s Connector, Catalyst, and Convener, we mobilize the full depth of the multilateral system, aligning diverse technical mandates with the strategic priorities of Member States. By reducing duplication, we maximize the system’s collective impact, turning the promise of innovation into progress for all.
The Challenge: Bridging the Digital and AI Divide
Digital and emerging technologies hold vast potential for social and economic transformation, from precision agriculture to healthcare. Yet a widening divide threatens to leave resource-constrained nations behind. Without targeted capacity-building, these countries risk becoming mere consumers of technology designed elsewhere. This limits local economic growth and risks embedding bias into the technologies that will shape our collective future.
What We Do: Our Strategic Mandate
ODET was established by the General Assembly on 1 January 2025 to advance inclusive, rights-based and multi-stakeholder digital cooperation that respects national priorities and contexts. We also serve as the United Nations system-wide focal point for digital issues.
We operate under the following strategic functions:
We advise UN senior leadership on key technology trends, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and emerging technologies, to guide and coordinate the Organization’s strategic approach. By conducting dedicated policy research and analysis, we ensure the UN remains responsive to the implications of rapid technological change and effectively harnesses technology for development.
We serve as the UN’s advocate and focal point for digital cooperation. Through high-level engagement with Member States, the technology industry, academia, and civil society, we foster partnerships and accelerate the implementation of Member State decisions.
We facilitate inclusive policy dialogue on digital and emerging technologies. Our work supports intergovernmental processes, promotes Member State cooperation, and strengthens existing bodies, such as the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), to foster a common understanding of critical issues like data and AI governance.
We strengthen coordination within and across the UN system to leverage synergies and avoid duplication. By facilitating system-wide mechanisms and joint programming opportunities, such as the Digital Cooperation Fund, we maximize the collective impact of the UN’s diverse entities.
We support the follow-up and implementation of the Global Digital Compact. This includes preparing implementation maps, tracking progress on endorsements, and ensuring alignment with related processes, such as the WSIS+20 review.
Key Milestones
The Secretary-General convenes the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation and issues the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation to strengthen cooperation in the digital space and address the opportunities and risks presented by digital technologies.
The Secretary-General’s report Our Common Agenda calls for a Global Digital Compact to establish shared principles for a digital future.
The Secretary-General convenes the High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, which undertakes analysis and proposes recommendations for international cooperation on artificial intelligence.
The General Assembly adopts the Global Digital Compact at the Summit of the Future, establishing a comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and artificial intelligence, including commitments related to digital public goods, digital public infrastructure, digital transformation, and open source technologies.
The Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology transitions to the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies following a decision by the United Nations General Assembly.
The General Assembly establishes the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance. The Secretary-General issues a report on innovative voluntary financing options for AI capacity-building.
Leadership
Mr. Amandeep Singh Gill serves as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, a mandate he assumed on 1 January 2025. He previously served as the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology (2022–2024).
In this capacity, Mr. Gill leads the Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), guiding the implementation of the Global Digital Compact and advising UN leadership on the strategic implications of technology. He drives system-wide coordination and champions inclusive digital cooperation with Member States, industry, and civil society. He also served on the Secretary-General's High-level Advisory Body on AI and the Scientific Advisory Body.
A veteran diplomat and scholar, Mr. Gill holds a PhD from King’s College London. He previously served as India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva (2016–2018) and as Executive Director of the Secretariat for the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation (2018–2019). Fluent in English, French, Hindi, and Punjabi, he brings a deep multicultural perspective to digital governance.
In 2024, he was recognized as one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in AI.”
Contact Us
For partnership opportunities or media requests: odet@un.org
For inquiries regarding GDC implementation: digitalcompact@un.org
Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York and Geneva